The Top of Mount Fuji Now Has Free Wi-Fi
Tourists visiting Japan have spoken, and they want...Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi, specifically, on top of Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan.
According to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, the free internet at eight hotspots on the 12,388-foot mountain starts today. Three of the spots are near the summit. Sure, climbers will be able to access safety information and weather conditions, but the local governments especially want visitors to know that they can "share" where they are on Mount Fuji with friends, says the Yamanashi prefectural government's tourism reps:
"[M]any climbers from the United States and Europe have said they wanted to use the Internet to share their experiences while on the mountain, the officials said."
Cue the selfie sticks! There are a few caveats, though: You only get 72 hours of internet from when you first log on, and you'll need to grab a brochure with password and login info from the Fifth or Sixth station. The free-internet gravy train will end in mid-September.
Wanna try it? Mount Fuji is an easy enough climb that most people can hike it on their own. Trails are open from July to roughly mid-September. The bottom-to-top climb takes approximately 12 hours, but you can take a bus to the Fifth Station halfway point, start hiking from there, and reach the summit in about six hours. Read all the guidelines at the official website for climbing Mount Fuji.
If you'd rather not DIY, Willer Express offers guided two-day climbing tours of Mount Fuji from Tokyo that include an English-speaking guide, two meals, and an overnight stay in a mountain hut (from about $153).